December 22, 2008
Caviar to Go
Over the years Louis Vuitton has created specially designed suitcases and travel accessories to hold everything from games and gadgets to wines, watches, and whiskey. Its latest ingenious travel accessory is a special-edition caviar case for properly storing and toting caviar. The red leather-lined LV monogram box is outfitted with a dish to hold up to 500 grams of caviar, a plate for crushed ice, and engraved crystal vodka glasses, plus drawers to hold four caviar spoons made of mother-of-pearl, a non-reactive material designed to preserve the caviar’s fragile flavor. Because the box is made to order, it can be customized in larger or smaller dimensions and is available in a range of leathers and exotic skins in almost any color. (866.884.8866, www.louisvuitton.com)
—William Kissel
|
December 10, 2008
Travel Light, Arrive Prepared
Tired of packing and repacking your luggage, lugging eveningwear outfits to important occasions, or organizing an entire family’s wardrobe for a ski vacation? Garde Robe, the New York-based luxury wardrobe storage and valet service, can help. Its unique and convenient clothing service for business and leisure travelers is now available in Japan, Las Vegas, and Southern California. To initiate the service, clients personally select certain on-and-off-season wardrobe items to be photographed and catalogued on a personalized online account with Garde Robe and kept in its climate-controlled storage lofts. When the items are needed, clients can call or go online to their CyberCloset (a photographic display of their wardrobe), choose which items they need, where and when, and the company will have them hanging in their hotel room’s closet upon check-in or in their second home’s master bedroom suite. Garde Robe is also the newly named “official clothier” for a number of well-known, high-end hotels in New York City, such as the St. Regis, the Plaza, Trump SoHo, and One Madison Park. Personal shopping, luggage-packing services, image consultants, makeup artists, and first-class seamstress services for fittings and alterations in the convenience of a client’s home or hotel room are also available. Its new virtual stylist service gives tips to clients on how to best restyle their wardrobe in their personal CyberCloset. Rates start at $350 per month, and include security and insurance for all items and complimentary pickup and delivery service. (212.255.3163, www.garderobeonline.com)
—Debora Toth
|
November 25, 2008
Leather for the Ready
For men who cannot wait the obligatory four to six months for Béatrice Amblard’s custom-made leather goods, there is good news. The Hermès-trained artisan has launched a ready-made line of men’s wallets, passport holders, and card cases at her April in Paris boutique in San Francisco. The men’s line is offered in an array of colors and exotic skins with “surprising details inside,” says Amblard. A classic brown alligator six-card wallet, for instance, is lined in bright blue leather. The ready-made line of eight accessory styles is also available at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
Amblard was sent to San Francisco in the late 1980s as an ambassador for the French brand’s newly opened boutique. In 2000, after 14 years designing custom leather goods for Hermès, Amblard opened her own retail boutique in the U.S. In addition to the men’s line, the store offers custom-made handbags and accessories in alligator, calf, ostrich, lizard, or stingray, finished with a classic saddle stitch, and marked with her logo, an 18-karat gold or sterling silver bee, a shortened version of the designer’s first name. (www.aprilinparis.us)
—Alexandra Foster
|
November 11, 2008
Swing Time
Back in the 1960s and early 1970s many fashionable Italians vacationed in the seaside town of Forte dei Marmi as much for the sea as for nightly dancing at the famed Capannina beach club. This season, d’Avenza, the luxury menswear brand that was born just a short distance away in Avenza di Carrara, has created its Capannina jacket with that historical Italian stomping ground―still very much in swing today―in mind. The completely handmade cashmere/silk blend jacket is designed for a night on the town: It features a half-lined interior for lightweight appeal and has two roomy patch pockets and two smaller besom-style pockets with tab closures for convenience. “This could very well be the next iconic jacket for the company,” says d’Avenza managing director Massimo Barrata, noting that it has many of the same sartorial details―bone buttons and track stitching under the cuff―reminiscent of the brand’s most famous sport coats from the 1950s. The $3,400 jacket is available at Artigiano in Coral Gables, Florida, as well as through other high-end men’s stores. (305.374.6064, www.davenza.com)
—William Kissel
|
October 28, 2008
Crocodile Dandy
When Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana set out to distance themselves from other mass-marketed designer brands, they decided to offer an exclusive range of limited-edition and custom-made products that would appeal more to connoisseurs than status seekers. This winter they continue that mandate with the launch of a new collection of one-of-a-kind weekend bags produced entirely out of crocodile and limited to 20 worldwide. In the U.S. the company is offering two custom-made variations of the bags―a beige crocodile weekender in the shape of a vintage bowling case, $53,995, and a two-tone brown boxy overnighter, $45,695. To further differentiate the bags from other exotic-skinned accessories in the duo’s ready-made repertoire, each piece comes with a metal engraved plaque inside identifying you as its owner. (877.70.DGUSA, www.dolcegabbana.it)
—William Kissel
|
October 14, 2008
New Gold Standard
When Robert Valdes-Rodriguez was working as a Wall Street banker he wore a lucky designer-made tie that he credits with helping him close deals with numerous corporate chief executives, hedge-fund managers, and international finance officials. However, when the classic blue pin-dot tie began to lose its luster and it was time to replace it, Valdes-Rodriguez was disappointed to learn the company no longer made that particular model. That disappointment led to a career change and the introduction this fall of RVR neckwear. Now the former banker creates traditional men’s woven silk neckties, including a replica of his lucky original, which he promises will never go out of style. He even uses his former profession as a springboard for new tie ideas. “Because I was in the trading business I saw that metals were coming back,” says Valdes-Rodriguez of one of the company’s early best sellers: a $210 Italian silk that’s been dipped in liquid sterling silver. When the buyers at the Plaza Collection, the new retail shops at the newly reopened Plaza Hotel in New York, saw the sterling tie they immediately commissioned RVR to create a signature $300 necktie. The result is a line of navy and 24-karat-gold ties―the hotel’s signature colors―that is currently being sold exclusively through the hotel’s boutique. (646.436.1883, www.rvrneckwear.com)
—William Kissel
|
September 30, 2008
Call Me Theodore
Herb and Norma Fink were a pioneering power couple back in 1969 when they were among the first to open a luxury retail store, Theodore, on the then-sleepy Rodeo Drive. Along with Jerry Magnin, from the defunct store of the same name, and the late Dick Carroll of Carroll & Co., they created the Rodeo Drive Committee that helped transform the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills into a bastion of upscale design and retailing. This fall, the Finks have turned their attention to nearby Camden Drive, where they’ve created their sixth Theodore store–an impressive 5,000-square-foot space inspired by the retro beach glamour of St. Tropez in the 1960s. Behind the store’s pool- blue glass façade, customers will discover a comprehensive collection of contemporary, and sometimes avant-garde, menswear including designs by Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, and newcomer Haider Ackerman, among others. (310.276.0663)
—William Kissel
|
September 16, 2008
Fashion Meets Function
Alfredo Argiro, the quirky Italian designer of the Avon Celli cashmere collection, had airline baggage restrictions on his mind when he created his innovative Kit Box. The clear Plexiglas box contains four knit shirts, 16 detachable collars, and four bow ties designed to create a multitude of wearable options. “We used a lot of the old stitching techniques from the 1920s as well as the interchangeable collars of the past, and tried to project them into the future,” says Argiro. The inspiration came from Avon Celli founder Pasquale Celli who, in 1922, originated the polo shirt by sewing a woven collar onto a three-button knit pullover. The Kit Box expands on that idea by offering such classics as a zip-neck pullover, a polo shirt, and a woven sport shirt that can change personalities depending on how the wearer combines them with collar options. Plus, it’s more efficient to pack a few extra collars rather than numerous shirts for a trip. Each Kit Box contains knit shirts made of superlight cotton woven on antique 36-gauge English looms, the same looms once used to produce ladies silk stockings, in navy, gray, light gray, and white. The $4,625 kit is available by special order from Massimo Bizzocchi/NYC, 212.675.4055. ( www.avoncelli.com)
—William Kissel
Photo credit: Stefano Jesi
|
September 2, 2008
Cartier Revs Up
In creating its first new men's fragrance in nearly a decade, Cartier was inspired by its most iconic men’s watch, the Roadster. The Roadster fragrance uses a mineral fougère: a classic fern-based blend traditionally created using lavender and oakmoss. Cartier swapped the lavender with English mint for an updated, cleaner take on the men’s cologne. The Roadster also contains subtle hints of bergamot, patchouli, and vanilla, and the gray, white, and black glass-sculpted bottle was made to resemble the stylish watch, which was styled after the classic car. The Roadster, $105 for 3.3 ounces, will debut in Cartier boutiques and Bloomingdale’s stores September 1. (www.cartier.com)
—Alexandra Foster
|
August 5, 2008
Leather Permitting
For the last 15 years, tucked away in a discreet studio in Orange County, California, George Esquivel has been providing a European-style bespoke men’s shoe service that not only offers customized handmade footwear, but also has a wide selection of stylish designs. Esquivel’s latest collection features a calfskin leather shoe designed to give the appearance of true shell cordovan ―a hard, stiff leather made from the back of a horse and used to construct men’s shoes for centuries―but without the usual breaking-in process required of genuine cordovan leather. The shoe, which is accented with soft matte alligator swatches along the sides, is $2,800 for custom-made orders. The shoemaker has also created a limited edition of ready-to-wear calfskin models (that appear like shell cordovan) for $1,900, available at Douglas Fir in Los Angeles and Rubenstein’s in New Orleans. (714.670.2200, www.esquivelshoes.com)
—Alexandra Foster
|
July 22, 2008
Looking Like Maverick
MODO eyewear company has partnered with NetJets private aviation carrier to design a collection of sunglasses specifically with pilots in mind. The lenses reflect and contrast colors at a particularly high chronic definition, helping ease the strain on pilots’ eyes while flying. The MODO for NetJets collection includes two limited-edition lightweight titanium and gold-plated styles for $650. The sunglasses were unveiled on July 1 at select sunglass boutiques as well as at MODO’s first store, which opened in June on Mott Street in New York. (www.modo.com)
—Alexandra Foster
|
July 8, 2008
Sneaker Peak
In their goal to develop more comfortable dress footwear, men’s shoemakers began creating leather dress loafers with rubber soles typically found on sport shoes. For fall, Ermenegildo Zegna is taking that concept to the next comfort level by creating a hybrid shoe that functions like a slipper but wears like a sneaker. The Italian clothier’s new Globe Trotter is, in fact, two shoes in one: a soft travel slipper made of a proprietary lightweight fabric that easily slips like a sock inside a rubber-soled cycling sneaker and is held in place by two Velcro buckles. The black dual-purpose shoe, which retails for $395, comes with one of three colored slipper choices―jet black, urban orange, or sporty silver―and debuted in select Ermenegildo Zegna shops worldwide in June. (888.880.3462, www.zegna.com)
—William Kissel
|
June 24, 2008
A Taste of Italy
Since launching his signature clothing house in Florence, Italy, in 1988, Michele Negri’s stylish, colorful yet classically tailored fashions have had a loyal American following. After 20 years in business, Negri has finally opened his first U.S. boutique on Madison Avenue in New York to serve his American patrons. The shop features Negri’s signature Neapolitan-cut suits with distinctive stitch work and additional ticket pocket similar to those cut on Savile Row. “My father always had an affection for Neapolitan tailoring, especially from brands like Kiton and Isaia,” says Gian Luigi Negri, Negri’s son with wife and business partner Patrizia Beltrami, of the Beltrami shoe family. Though Negri’s designs go beyond the traditional says his son, who runs the U.S. business: His newest Italian-made blazers are un-constructed and cut razor thin. (212.212.988.8804, www.michelenegri.com)
―William Kissel
|
June 10, 2008
Our Man Bixby
Andre Benjamin, also known as Andre 3000 from the hip-hop group OutKast, has always had a singular sense of style. His distinctive fashion approach even earned the Grammy-winning musician the title of best-dressed man in Esquire magazine a few years back. Now Benjamin is introducing his alter ego, a fashion designer of “rough luxury” named Benjamin Bixby, whose debut fall 2008 collection of polo shirts, varsity knits, tweed trousers, and corduroy sport coats were inspired by documentary college sports footage from the 1930s. However, the Bixby brand, available through Barneys New York this fall, is not just a collection of chic throwbacks to menswear’s golden past. Nor is it just another line of celebrity-endorsed clothing. Most of the pieces, including long wool duffel coats, carefully fitted double-breasted cashmere blazers, club-collar cotton dress shirts, and high-waisted wool herringbone trousers, incorporate rich historical fabrics and precision hand tailoring for a thoroughly modern approach to old-world style. (available through Marvin Traub & Associates, 646.723.2990)
–William Kissel
|
May 27, 2008
All Aboard
Clothing makers often reference designs from the 1930s and 1940s as a way of holding on to the golden age of menswear. But in creating his new Voyager collection of luggage and leather goods, Arkansas-based designer Martin Dingman found inspiration in the glory days of train travel. "I wanted to recall when people owned the beautiful hard-sided luggage and had porters available to carry it for them," says Dingman, who updated the look in lightweight, polyurethane-coated cotton canvas to accommodate modern travel. Each made-to-order bench-made shaving valet, duffle, attaché, briefcase, and carry-on trolley, priced from $650 to $3950, will be made in a limited edition of 50 per item. The collection features a discrete orange and brown stripe reminiscent of those found on antique steamers of yesterday, and soon the stripe will find its way on the designer's deerskin and bridle leather belts and footwear as well. Voyager pieces are available through Martin Dingman trunk shows (see schedule online at www.martindingman.com).
-William Kissel
|
May 13, 2008
Davi’s Skin Care Harvest
The name Mondavi is synonymous with California wines, and now it’s making its mark in luxury skin care. Davi was established last year by Carlo Cesare Robert Mondavi, the grandson of Robert Mondavi, who founded the wine brand in 1966. Staying true to his family heritage, the skin-care products are made from a blend of natural ingredients that include by-products of the winemaking process. During fermentation, a by-product is produced containing polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant that is believed to combat free radicals that cause aging. This derivative is combined with grape and fermented wine extracts, green tea, raspberry, black currant, and bilberry extracts among other ingredients to create what Davi has coined Meritage, which is at the core of all its products, including Le Grand Cru cream for men and women, $175 (shown). (310.827.0800, www.daviskin.com)
―Jill Newman
|
April 29, 2008
All SEWed Up
“I think men’s custom clothing has become too sterile,” says Scott Evan Wasserberger from his downtown New York shop SEW, an acronym for his initials. Having worked in custom clothing for 22 years, beginning as an apprentice at his grandfather’s tailor shop in Brooklyn, Wasserberger is looking to infuse more style into custom clothing with SEW. Located on Mott Street in Little Italy, the boutique has the feel of a 19th-century atelier, yet both Wasserberger and his father, Artie, keep up with the latest trends in men’s fashion to provide clients with more than just well-made clothing. Among the most popular items are made-to-measure shirts, which start around $350 for a minimum order of two, depending on the fabric. Clients are measured then select from bolts of textiles in the back of the shop that range from argyle and plaid to linen and houndstooth. Wasserberger’s choice for a must-have item? The wine-colored French velvet smoking jacket with a satin collar ($1,750) ― just the item to make Hugh Hefner green with envy. (212.686.1630)
―Alexandra Foster
|
April 15, 2008
A Cool Revolution
Even when the Mediterranean heat soars upward of 100 degrees, many style-conscious Italians will keep their jackets on. Now with the introduction of Isaia’s new jacket, the Sailor, summer style aficionados can maintain the elegance of the sport coat while staying comfortably cool. Isaia achieves this feat by crafting the Sailor out of its fine, light shirt fabric, while maintaining the same elements of construction in traditional Isaia jackets. Two vent belts on the inside of this super-light jacket enhance the illusion that the wearer is sporting a heavier coat and make this garment appropriate for either the beach or the boardroom. Starting at $1,295, the Sailor is available in stores in several fabrics but is also available made-to-measure in any of Isaia’s 500 fabric choices. (888.996.7555, www.isaia.it)
―Daniel Curtis
|
April 1, 2008
The Horsey Set
In honor of the 75th anniversary of the prestigious Piazza di Siena horse-jumping show held annually in May, Loro Piana has created a special-edition version of its best-selling Horsey jacket, which was originally designed in 1992 for the Italian equestrian team to wear during the summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The updated jacket is produced in a new Microlight S3 stretch cloth treated with the Biella, Italy-based company’s patented Storm System technology that renders it both wind and rain resistant. The $1,575 blazer also comes with the owner’s name and purchase date signed on a specially designed interior label that identifies the yellow suede-trimmed navy jacket as the signature style statement of Italy’s most prestigious international equestrian event. (212.980.7961, www.loropiana.com)
―William Kissel
|
March 18, 2008
In True British Style
Collectively, British designer |